While fashionable way-out colours, which star on the catwalk, can struggle to easily translate into the real world, these two easy-on-the-eye concoctions could not only suit most settings, but also pair well together.

Even better, plumping for one or both might put an end to the curse of colour craziness.

Apocryphal stories abound, of people being found gibbering in darkened rooms unable to choose between such perplexing labels as Elephant’s or Dragon’s Breath. Others simply resolve a colour crisis - decor disagreements over colour are a common cause of couples’ rows - by falling back yet again on what’s known in the trade as ‘safe-as-houses white’.

In-your-face colour, it’s true, may not be for the faint-hearted, but there’s no better time to play with a warmer palette, a trend which experts say is a reaction to a more positive general global outlook, and replaces those cool blues and greens.

Embracing rich but subtle hues could not only give a much-needed glow to rooms, vital throughout the remaining chilly months, but also conjure a seductive setting whose style will endure far beyond the season.